Anxiety & shakiness

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JenniferO
JenniferO Member Posts: 12
in Breast Cancer #1
Help~

I amm on my 3rde round of chemo and since halfway after round 2 have had terrible anxiety. shakes,etc. Not good. i cannot sleep worth anything and feel like this is never going to end. Anyone out there who can reassure me that I will return to normal sometime soon?

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  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #2
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    No advice just good thoughts
    No advice just good thoughts heading your way..I never had chemo...but I am sure you'll get input from others who can help you out..

    Denise
  • JenniferO
    JenniferO Member Posts: 12
    #3
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    disneyfan2008 said:

    No advice just good thoughts
    No advice just good thoughts heading your way..I never had chemo...but I am sure you'll get input from others who can help you out..

    Denise

    THanks
    Thanks - I am having a really rough time and need some support. Good luck to you.
  • JenniferO
    JenniferO Member Posts: 12
    #4
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    disneyfan2008 said:

    No advice just good thoughts
    No advice just good thoughts heading your way..I never had chemo...but I am sure you'll get input from others who can help you out..

    Denise

    THanks
    Thanks - I am having a really rough time and need some support. Good luck to you.
  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    #5
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    JenniferO said:

    THanks
    Thanks - I am having a really rough time and need some support. Good luck to you.

    Jennifer, I am so sorry that
    Jennifer, I am so sorry that you are having a rough time with chemo. I didn't have chemo, so, I can't offer advice to you.

    Have you told your oncologist about this? Hopefully, he can help you out.


    Wishing you good luck with the rest of your treatment. Keep us posted.


    Hugs, Angie
  • Lighthouse_7
    Lighthouse_7 Member Posts: 1,566 Member
    #6
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    JenniferO said:

    THanks
    Thanks - I am having a really rough time and need some support. Good luck to you.

    Normal so try not to worry....
    Hi Jennifer,
    Chemo is very hard on our bodies and anxiety and even the shakiness is normal. You might ask for Ativan to get you through it if you haven't already been prescribed some. My doc gave it to me before I started chemo and they used to put it in my drip while I was having it.

    I can tell you that it does get better and you will get through this.
    Big Hugs,
    Wanda
  • mwallace1325
    mwallace1325 Member Posts: 806
    #7
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    Lighthouse_7 said:

    Normal so try not to worry....
    Hi Jennifer,
    Chemo is very hard on our bodies and anxiety and even the shakiness is normal. You might ask for Ativan to get you through it if you haven't already been prescribed some. My doc gave it to me before I started chemo and they used to put it in my drip while I was having it.

    I can tell you that it does get better and you will get through this.
    Big Hugs,
    Wanda

    Hi
    Hi Jennifer. I'm two years out from chemo and feeling much closer to the old normal so I guess "new normal" isn't bad.

    Please call your onc and let the team know anything that's bothering you. It's what they're there for and they generally have a solution for just about everything.

    I can remember leaving messages early in the morning with issues and by 10am I generally had an answer, prescription or other remedy in hand.

    You will get through this, I promise.

    marge
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #8
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    Please let your oncologist
    Please let your oncologist know. Cancer survivors are at higher risk for anxiety and depression.

    The study below from BMJ is one of many out there showing increased anxiety and depression in women with breast cancer: "Nearly 50% of the women with early breast cancer had depression, anxiety, or both in the year after diagnosis, 25% in the second, third, and fourth years, and 15% in the fifth year."

    Your oncologist can help determine the best treatment (and the one most compatible with your treatment).

    I have been on lexapro since my recurrence and it has really helped.

    Depression and anxiety in women with early breast cancer: five year observational cohort study

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC555631/
  • aysemari
    aysemari Member Posts: 1,596 Member
    #9
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    someone on here once asked
    someone on here once asked what it is like to get
    chemo, this was my response.

    May 24, 2011 - 2:36p
    I describe it like this, it is like going to war but you can't bring your guns.
    So you have to be strong mentally and be prepared.

    And when you come out, your body is so battered, as you know it would be
    but you still went. Now you are trying to resume your life but you are haunted
    by your experience and your soul estranged from the body it once knew so well.
    There's an ongoing monologue between the two, till they become one again.

    I think this is as close as I will get to explaining it. I hope this helps you understand
    your feelings better and put things into perspective.

    Hugs,
    Ayse
  • Bella Luna
    Bella Luna Member Posts: 1,578 Member
    #10
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    Keep Your Eye on the Goal
    Jennifer I am sorry you are having to go through this. I went through chemo and I can understand your fears. I was scared and completely overwhelmed when I found out I'd have to go the whole 9 yards( surgery, chemo, rads, Herceptin for 1 year). I am married and my daughter, at the time, was 9 years old. This journey Survivors undergo to recover is very frightening. The unknowns can really send one over the deep end as well.

    If it helps you any, I can tell you what I did when I was in your shoes. For one, I joined a breast cancer support group that met weekly. They had onsite counselors for those who were needing one on one counseling. Anti-anxiety drugs are available to help you cope. Ask your oncologist about it. There is no shame in needing to take drugs to help cope with the horrible reality of being diagnosed with cancer. I also prayed/meditated before each chemo treatment. It helped calm my nerves and settled my mind. There is a program called "Mindfulness" by Jon Kabbat-Zin that was developed for patients undergoing chronic or serious illnesses cope with their reality. Goggle it to learn more about it.

    I wish you the best as you move forward with your recovery. Keep you eye on the goal, RECOVERY & SURVIVORSHIP!

    Take care, God bless.
    Ines
  • GMcD
    GMcD Member Posts: 134
    #11
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    CypressCynthia said:

    Please let your oncologist
    Please let your oncologist know. Cancer survivors are at higher risk for anxiety and depression.

    The study below from BMJ is one of many out there showing increased anxiety and depression in women with breast cancer: "Nearly 50% of the women with early breast cancer had depression, anxiety, or both in the year after diagnosis, 25% in the second, third, and fourth years, and 15% in the fifth year."

    Your oncologist can help determine the best treatment (and the one most compatible with your treatment).

    I have been on lexapro since my recurrence and it has really helped.

    Depression and anxiety in women with early breast cancer: five year observational cohort study

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC555631/

    Great information
    Thank you for posting this information. I have had anxiety issues most of my adult life, am almost 2 years since dx and all my checkups have been good so far.However, lately, I have noticed breakthrough anxiety and am having difficulty understanding why. I feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop and then get upset with myself for not enjoying how well I feel these days. Thanks again, I'm going to talk with my doctor soon.
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #12
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    Bella Luna said:

    Keep Your Eye on the Goal
    Jennifer I am sorry you are having to go through this. I went through chemo and I can understand your fears. I was scared and completely overwhelmed when I found out I'd have to go the whole 9 yards( surgery, chemo, rads, Herceptin for 1 year). I am married and my daughter, at the time, was 9 years old. This journey Survivors undergo to recover is very frightening. The unknowns can really send one over the deep end as well.

    If it helps you any, I can tell you what I did when I was in your shoes. For one, I joined a breast cancer support group that met weekly. They had onsite counselors for those who were needing one on one counseling. Anti-anxiety drugs are available to help you cope. Ask your oncologist about it. There is no shame in needing to take drugs to help cope with the horrible reality of being diagnosed with cancer. I also prayed/meditated before each chemo treatment. It helped calm my nerves and settled my mind. There is a program called "Mindfulness" by Jon Kabbat-Zin that was developed for patients undergoing chronic or serious illnesses cope with their reality. Goggle it to learn more about it.

    I wish you the best as you move forward with your recovery. Keep you eye on the goal, RECOVERY & SURVIVORSHIP!

    Take care, God bless.
    Ines

    Could be...
    The steroids that is causing this...I experienced the insomnia and shakiness when undergoing chemo...speak with your oncologist...

    Best wishes...
    Hugs, Nancy
  • dbhadra
    dbhadra Member Posts: 344 Member
    #13
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    MAJW said:

    Could be...
    The steroids that is causing this...I experienced the insomnia and shakiness when undergoing chemo...speak with your oncologist...

    Best wishes...
    Hugs, Nancy

    Steriods
    Can cause the shakiness; I had them cut my dose in half when I was doing the taxol part of my chemo. I also used Ativan to sleep as I had trouble sleeping also due to steroids. Anxiety for me came more strongly post chemo; i am on effexor nowand it really helps.

    Best,

    Laura
  • poplolly
    poplolly Member Posts: 346
    #14
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    Sleep is so important in
    Sleep is so important in dealing with this illness. If you haven't asked a doctor for some help with this, be sure and do that. He could also help with the anxiety. I know it's possible to get through this because of the women on this site who have.

    Hugs and prayers

    Judy
  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    #15
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    poplolly said:

    Sleep is so important in
    Sleep is so important in dealing with this illness. If you haven't asked a doctor for some help with this, be sure and do that. He could also help with the anxiety. I know it's possible to get through this because of the women on this site who have.

    Hugs and prayers

    Judy

    Jennifer, I got very anxious and weepy
    when I started treatment. I am not one to take any prescription drugs unless absolutely necessary. I talked to a friend (who is a physician) and he put me on an antidepressant which I began immediately. He also gave me a script for Xanax (an anti-anxiety drug) which he told me to use only if I absolutely had to since it is very addictive. I still have the full bottle of Xanax (1 1/2 years later) but just knowing I had it if I needed it was all the comfort I needed. I am still on the antidepressant and doing well. I also had sleeping problems but the antidepressant helped.

    I am not usually a proponent of drugs, but our circumstances are extreme and we have to find ways to get through it the best we can--whatever works.

    Good luck to you. I hope you are able to find comfort and peace.

    Hugs, Renee
  • madsters1
    madsters1 Member Posts: 120
    #16
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    ANXIETY & SHAKINESS
    Any chance they can cut back on the steroids? I'm getting ready to start chemo within the next week or so and have "arm wrestled" the doc into only giving me 10mgs the day of my treatments. We'll see how it goes, but can't live like that. She also said she'd prescribe a valium if necessary. I think the steroids may be worse than the treatment. They try to minimize it. but I'm not buying it. Can't hurt to ask. I will pray for you tonight that you can get some sleep. God bless you!
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    #17
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    dbhadra said:

    Steriods
    Can cause the shakiness; I had them cut my dose in half when I was doing the taxol part of my chemo. I also used Ativan to sleep as I had trouble sleeping also due to steroids. Anxiety for me came more strongly post chemo; i am on effexor nowand it really helps.

    Best,

    Laura

    Jennifer, perhaps your
    Jennifer, perhaps your oncologist can prescribe something for you to help. I am wishing you the best of luck and hope the anxiety and shakiness gets better for you soon.


    Hugs, Lex
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #18
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    Lighthouse_7 said:

    Normal so try not to worry....
    Hi Jennifer,
    Chemo is very hard on our bodies and anxiety and even the shakiness is normal. You might ask for Ativan to get you through it if you haven't already been prescribed some. My doc gave it to me before I started chemo and they used to put it in my drip while I was having it.

    I can tell you that it does get better and you will get through this.
    Big Hugs,
    Wanda

    Chemo is very hard on us and
    Chemo is very hard on us and unfortunately, has side effects. Please talk to your doctor about this and let us know what he says.


    Gentle hugs,

    Kylez
  • Frankie Shannon
    Frankie Shannon Member Posts: 457
    #19
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    I can't relate to what your
    I can't relate to what your going through as i didn't have chemo or rad.but my prayers and thoughts are with you Hugs Frankie
  • Noel
    Noel Member Posts: 3,095 Member
    #20
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    poplolly said:

    Sleep is so important in
    Sleep is so important in dealing with this illness. If you haven't asked a doctor for some help with this, be sure and do that. He could also help with the anxiety. I know it's possible to get through this because of the women on this site who have.

    Hugs and prayers

    Judy

    Jennifer, how are you doing
    Jennifer, how are you doing now?

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